Multiparameter lighting fixtures are lighting fixtures, which illustratively have two or more individually remotely adjustable parameters such as focus, color, gobo images, position, or other light characteristics. Multiparameter lighting fixtures are widely used in the lighting industry because they facilitate significant reductions in overall lighting system size and permit dynamic changes to the final lighting effect. Applications and events in which multiparameter lighting fixtures are used to great advantage include showrooms, television lighting, stage lighting, architectural lighting, live concerts, and theme parks. Illustrative multi-parameter lighting fixtures are described in the product brochure entitled “The High End Systems Product Line 2001” and are available from High End Systems, Inc. of Austin, Tex.
Multiparameter lighting fixtures are commonly constructed with a lamp housing that may pan and tilt in relation to a base housing so that light projected from the lamp housing can be remotely positioned to project on the stage surface. Commonly a plurality of multiparameter lights are controlled by an operator from a central controller. The central controller is connected to communicate with the plurality of multiparameter lights via a communication system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,187 titled “Computer controlled lighting system having automatically variable position, color, intensity and beam divergence” to Bornhorst and incorporated herein by reference disclosed a plurality of multiparameter lights and a central controller. Digital communications between a central controller and a multi-parameter light fixture typically is by wire. In 1986, the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (“USITT”) developed a digital communications system protocol for multi-parameter light fixtures known as DMX512.
The lamp housing of the multiparameter light contains the optical components such as a gobo wheel a lens and a lamp. The lamp housing is rotatably mounted to a yoke that provides for a tilting action of the lamp housing in relation to the yoke. The lamp housing is tilted in relation to the yoke by a motor actuator system that provides remote control of the tilting action by the central controller. The yoke is rotatably connected to the base housing that provides for a panning action of the yoke in relation to the base housing. The yoke is panned in relation to the base housing by a motor actuator system that provides remote control of the panning action by the central controller.
Multiparameter lights often use gobos to project patterns upon a stage or other projection surface. A gobo is often comprised of a metal or metal on glass that has been etched into a stencil pattern that provides an image or likeness of the gobo to be projected. The gobo wheel of a prior art multiparameter light is often comprised of a planetary type system and the gobos of the gobo wheel (like the planets) rotate around a sun gear located in the center. Any gobo positioned on the gobo wheel of the multiparameter light may be remotely selected to be brought into position and then projected by the multiparameter light. The gobo wheel often is comprised of two motors. One motor (the gobo select motor) is required to remotely position a selected gobo into the light path for projection and the second motor is required to remotely rotate the selected gobo in a smooth and continuous manner.
The Cyberlight by High End Systems of Austin, Tex. as described in the product brochure entitled “The High End Systems Product Line 2001” incorporates such a gobo wheel to bring selected patterns into the light path for projection and then smoothly rotate the selected gobo in the light path. A further description of a gobo wheel is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,326 tilted “Gobo Holder for a Lighting System” to Belliveau et al. In the prior art it has been critical for the rotation of the selected gobo to be substantially smooth as to not cause a distraction during a show to the audience when the multiparameter light is in use. Great care has been taken by multiparameter lighting manufacturers to rotate a selected gobo without any jitter or jerking during the rotations. Motors that often are used to rotate the selected gobo are stepping motors and manufacturers often employ microstepping techniques and circuitry to substantially smoothly rotate the selected gobo.
Through recent experimentation by the inventors it has been found that it can also be desirable to not only rotate the selected gobo in a substantially smooth way but additionally rotate the selected gobo as to cause an animation effect. The animation effect of the selected gobo provides a pleasing new way of rotating the selected gobo of a multiparameter light and thus increases the value of the light during show use to the operator or designer.